My baby is 10.5 weeks old. This is my first baby to full-time co-sleep, my first had bad reflux and we never figured out how to side-lie nurse, so he was always in his own bed. My second son is special needs and was not medically stable enough to co-sleep until 3-4 months old, then it was only part-time until he was a year old and we transitioned him back to his own bed. So this is my first time cosleeping with a newborn.
Gavin will NOT go to sleep unless he's in someone's arms. That part is fine, I don't mind nursing him to sleep or wearing him down in a sling. But he will not STAY asleep if we put him down. I've tried putting him on his tummy, which is better, he'll sleep for about 20 minutes that way, on rare occassion up to an hour.
Nightime is becoming a problem. Right now I nurse him to sleep, then we lay down together and he snuggles in the crook of my arm against my side all night long. He sleeps really well this way, 3-5 hour chunks. He isn't a good side-lie nurser, I sit up to nurse him, but I don't mind that. He'll snuggle with daddy, too, so if I want to sleep alone for a period, or roll over, or when I get up in the mornings to go to the gym or go to work, Gavin will sleep with daddy just fine.
BUT...the problem is that I have to go to bed when Gavin goes to bed. I WOH full time, and I'm accustomed to having a few hours to myself at night after the kids are in bed to clean, organize, pack my lunch the next day, do emails, etc etc. Right now I'm not getting those few hours! I have tried to nurse Gavin down and lay him down on his tummy, but I only get 20 minutes at a time, then he's awake again and I have to pick him up again. He won't settle down for a good chunk of sleep unless I'm laying with him.
If I knew that this was a short period, that he'll "grow out of it" then I'd be more willing to just deal with a messier house (or get more efficient in the hours before bed), but there is a part of me that fears that I am creating a "habit". That I should be giving him gentle nudges towards sleeping alone for more than 20 minutes at a time. Of course I won't let him cry.
I've been playing around with different positions, he sleeps on his side when I'm with him, so I've tried propping him on his side when I lay him down alone, but so far that isn't helping. I thought about trying to swaddle him, he never was a big fan of swaddling as a newborn, always got out of it, but maybe I need to try again with a bigger blanket? Or buy a swaddler?
Has anyone else had a baby that won't go to bed unless you're in bed too? How did you handle it? I'd really like a little time to myself in the evenings, maybe even a little time with my husband!
Gavin will NOT go to sleep unless he's in someone's arms. That part is fine, I don't mind nursing him to sleep or wearing him down in a sling. But he will not STAY asleep if we put him down. I've tried putting him on his tummy, which is better, he'll sleep for about 20 minutes that way, on rare occassion up to an hour.
Nightime is becoming a problem. Right now I nurse him to sleep, then we lay down together and he snuggles in the crook of my arm against my side all night long. He sleeps really well this way, 3-5 hour chunks. He isn't a good side-lie nurser, I sit up to nurse him, but I don't mind that. He'll snuggle with daddy, too, so if I want to sleep alone for a period, or roll over, or when I get up in the mornings to go to the gym or go to work, Gavin will sleep with daddy just fine.
BUT...the problem is that I have to go to bed when Gavin goes to bed. I WOH full time, and I'm accustomed to having a few hours to myself at night after the kids are in bed to clean, organize, pack my lunch the next day, do emails, etc etc. Right now I'm not getting those few hours! I have tried to nurse Gavin down and lay him down on his tummy, but I only get 20 minutes at a time, then he's awake again and I have to pick him up again. He won't settle down for a good chunk of sleep unless I'm laying with him.
If I knew that this was a short period, that he'll "grow out of it" then I'd be more willing to just deal with a messier house (or get more efficient in the hours before bed), but there is a part of me that fears that I am creating a "habit". That I should be giving him gentle nudges towards sleeping alone for more than 20 minutes at a time. Of course I won't let him cry.
I've been playing around with different positions, he sleeps on his side when I'm with him, so I've tried propping him on his side when I lay him down alone, but so far that isn't helping. I thought about trying to swaddle him, he never was a big fan of swaddling as a newborn, always got out of it, but maybe I need to try again with a bigger blanket? Or buy a swaddler?
Has anyone else had a baby that won't go to bed unless you're in bed too? How did you handle it? I'd really like a little time to myself in the evenings, maybe even a little time with my husband!
